When Woods and Fimbres finally emerge they are met with screams from the club goers, but there’s a trace of communal weariness, too. Since the publicization of Combs’ legal trials, much has been said online about the stolen careers and unfulfilled potential of the female victims and artists in his orbit, including Danity Kane. It’s been a long ride for the group, and their fans.
“Thank you all for being down for us and welcoming us back. It’s been healing. We’ve been reclaiming our youth, our music, and celebrating what you all still seem to be in love with,” Woods says from Paragon’s famous central staircase, her voice seemingly imbued with apparent surprise.
Fimbres and Woods cue “Hold Me Down” and “Show Stopper,” and the crowd sings along. It’s communal karaoke and the voices, largely made up of dancers in their 20s and early 30s, are loud and raspy. Then, Woods and Fimbres transition into their biggest hit “Damaged,” which Woods prefaces with the comment: “I would like to propose that Danity Kane is no longer ‘Damaged.’”
As everyone gets to song’s chorus — “My heart is damaged […] How you gonna fix it, fix it, fix it?” — a mishmash feeling of nostalgia, joy, melancholy, all mix up in the gel-lit fog. The crowd turns it into a mantra. The people keep dancing. There’s no clear answer, but the music helps.
